Karmichael Hunt to make rugby return alongside Quade Cooper

Karmichael Hunt will make his return to rugby on the Gold Coast on Saturday when he lines up in a club match alongside fellow exile Quade Cooper.

Nine months after his last outing and six months after the arrest that led to his banishment from the Queensland Reds, Hunt has been registered to play for Queensland Premier Rugby outfit Souths. It is the same club Cooper has played at all year after being told by Reds coach Brad Thorn he wasn't in his Super Rugby plans.

Hunt, who hasn't pulled on the boots since last year's Wallabies spring tour, is expected to be named on the bench for Souths' clash against Bond University on Saturday.

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Queensland coach Brad Thorn has slammed the door shut on Quade Cooper, saying the superstar outcast would remain just that despite admitting the Reds were lacking inspiration after Saturday night's Super Rugby drubbing in Sydney.

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"Looking forward to lacing up the boots again for @SouthsRugby!" Hunt tweeted on Friday.

He has close friend and Souths captain Cooper to thank for teeing up the opportunity, having been turned away by Norths, the club he was previously aligned to.

In a letter to members published by the Nine Network, Souths president Tony Shepley said the club obliged after being approached by Cooper about offering "assistance" to Hunt.

"Karmichael has essentially been in isolation and unable to play rugby for some time now," Shepley said in the letter. "That is potentially not a good thing for someone who has been involved in team sport for as long as he has.

"It was put to us that for his own well-being he be given an opportunity to redeem himself on and off the field. He has to be involved in a club and playing rugby somewhere to do that.